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U.S. NAVY COMMANDER CHARLES CONRAD TODAY BECAME THE THIRD MAN TO SET FOOT ON THE?

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U.S. NAVY COMMANDER CHARLES CONRAD TODAY BECAME THE THIRD MAN TO SET FOOT ON THE MOON. HE STEPPED DOWN FROM THE LUNAR MODULE INTREPID AT 11.44 G.M.T., FOUR HOURS FIFTY MINUTES AFTER HE AND COMMANDER ALAN BEAN STEERED INTREPID TO AN APPARENT PIN-POINT LANDING IN THE OCEAN OF STORMS.

BEAN JOINED HIS MISSION COMMANDER ON THE LUNAR SURFACE AT 12.15 G.M.T. THEY WERE SCHEDULED TO SPEND THREE-AND-A-HALF HOURS OUTSIDE THE INTREPID, PERFORMING VARIOUS EXPERIMENTS AND COLLECTING LUNAR SAMPLES BEFORE RETURNING. EARLY TOMORROW, (AT 05.29 G.M.T.) A SECOND THREE-AND-A-HALF HOUR WALK IS PLANNED IN WHICH THE ASTRONAUTS HOPE TO LOCATE THE UNMANNED SURVEYOR THREE, THE AMERICAN MOON PROBE WHICH LANDED ON THE SIDE OF A CRATER IN APRIL, 1967. ALTOGETHER, THEY ARE SCHEDULED TO SPEND ALMOST 32 HOURS ON THE MOON BEFORE BLASTING OFF TO REJOIN COMMANDER RICHARD GORDON IN THE APOLLO 12 SPACESHIP YANKEE CLIPPER.

THE TELEVISION TRANSMISSION FROM THE MOON BEGAN WHEN CONRAD SWITCHED ON A CAMERA ATTACHED TO INTREPID AS HE CLAMBERED DOWN THE LADDER FROM THE HATCHWAY. LATER, BEAN WAS TO SET THE CAMERA UP AT VARIOUS POSITIONS AROUND INTREPID TO SHOW THE ASTRONAUTS AT WORK.

ANOTHER TRANSMISSION IS PLANNED DURING THE SECOND MOON WALK TOMORROW. IT IS AT THIS TIME THAT THE ASTRONAUTS WILL WALK TO THE CRATER WHERE SURVEYOR THREE IS RESTING. THE SPACE AGENCY BELIEVE IT IS LESS THAN 400 YARDS (ABOUT 350 METRES) FROM THE INTREPID.